Wheel.



PATENTED JULY 24, 1906.

J. w. MEIXELL.

WHEEL.

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Lib/1n if @1517 n UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. MEIXELL, or LEwrsBoRe, rnussnvasm;

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Specification of Letters Patent.

2atentsd July 24, 1906.

. lpplicaticn flied August 22.1908. a orlei He. 275376.

To (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. MEIXELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lewisburg, in the county of Union and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates 'to improvements in that class of wheelsmainly employed in automobile construction and embracing a pneumatic tire of the clencher and the wellknown Dunlop forms or styles.

The ob'ects and advantages of the invention will ereinafter ap ear, and the novel features will be particu arly pointed out in the ciaims.

Referring to the drawin s, Fi ure 1 is a transverse sectional view t roug a portion of awheel embodying my invention, the same being shown in connection with a clenchersiyle" tire. Fig. 2 isa similar view showing t e invention in connection with a Dunlop -etyle of tire. Fig. 3 is a iongitudinal sectionai VlBW of the removable internal tubular hand employed in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the same slightly modified and employed in Fig. 2.

Similar numerals of reference indicate similar arts in all the figures of the drawings. 7 y invention relates to that particular class of wheelsv embracing pneumatic tires wherein the latter is of the well-known ciencheror Dunlap styles or types and wherein isempioyed a mechanical contrivance for securing. and releasing the tires to and from he rim by means of side clamps which en-' t geicsthe external beads of the casing.

will hereinafter appear, I provide by my invention a sire is and secure means for Securely clamping the tire upon the rim, the said means being so constructed as to permit of ready removal for repair or other purposes, and aiso a convenient support for the inner tube, should the iatter be used, which support is arranged beyond or outside of the damping me ens, whereby, as will be obvious, the inner tube is prevented from coming in contact with the rit'n of the wheel, and the outer casing of the tire is prevented from hecomin rim-cut or worn, even though the tire shoul, become entirely deflated.

1 designates the usual wood feiiyyupon which is mounted the fiat rim 2, the edgcsof which project beyond the sides of the fell one edge of the rim is upturned and inwardly disposed, as at 3, to form one member of a 7' ciainp, and at intervals the outer face of the rim may be channeled transversely, as at 4, the channels extending entirely across the rim and thrdu h the upturned clamping member 3, as indicated at 5.

6 designates the outer casing, which'of usual construction, and in Fig. 1 is therefore rovided along its outer inner edges with the heads j, designed to be engaged by the clam 3 at one sideand b a companion removab e clamping-ringht t e other side, which ring will be hereinafter described.

I may or may not employ the inner tube 8, which is of the usual construction and which may or may et he reinforced along its inner wa l with enenternsll layer of fabric, as 9.

10 designates an annular clamping-ring,

which may or may not be tubular and formed 7 rests at its inner circumference u on the rim 2 and at intervals s. eeing with t e channels 4 may he provide with half-round trans verse channels 13. The channels 13 may he closed, as hcwn in Fig. 3-that is ts f'sey, may befcrn eji by pressing the internal wsii of therriii g 1 0 inward-or they may he cut throng thesieie and bottom walls of the rin as shown'in. Fig. 4. However the channe may be formed, they are intended to combine wit the channels 4' of the rim to produce transverse holes for the bolts 14, it being also understood that the beads of the tire-casing 6 are provided with corresponding openings. The bolts 14 are threaded at one end, so as to accommodate nuts'15; and at their opposite ends are provided with heads 16, the latter centers 0 the bolts. The remaining head .7"

of the tire-casing 6 is clamped by the beforementioned clamping-ring 1?, which corresponds with the stationary clamp 3 and, like t e latter, may havenotches 18 along its in.- ner edge to aid in producing the bolt-hoies. The heads 15} f'tiie bolts engage the clampiug-rin' and When the nuts are tightened up u on t e bolts the two heads are not only c amped securely in position by the action of the clamping-ring 17, but bythc presence of the bolts and the aforesaid notches in the base of the casing the latter is prevented from having any annular movement or creeping.

It will be seen. that as the o )positc bases or sides of the casing are forced laterally they are firmly pressed against the opposite inclined walls of the internal ring, so that each head is separately clamped and held in. )osition by an unyielding means, as we I .as clamped or drawn laterall toward each other. By this means, as will be obvious, it is impossible for the tire-casing to become loosened or detached. Furthermore, by forming the close joints between the inclined walls of the inner ring and the inner walls of the tire-casing the tire is rendered air-ti ht, and the necessity of an inner tube is obvi ated. More especially is this true where the bolts 14 are located close together or at more frequent intervals than is usually the case. It will, furthermore, be seen that the flat outer base of the internal ring serves as an excellent support for the inner tube 8 should the same be used and avoids any likelihood of it becoming pinched either during use or in applying or removing the tire. A further advantage resides in the fact that the flat outer base of the internal ring extends beyond the tire-clamping meansnamcly, the flange 3 and rin l7-and, as will be obvious, should the tire ecome wholly or partly deflated, as in case of a puncture or other leak, it will be sup orted in a manner by the internal ring, ant thus prevented from chafing against the flange 3 and ring 17 and becoming what is known as rim-cut." As a matter of fact, the tire may be used in a deflated form without danger of material injury.

In order to com ensate for the obvious necessity and disa vantage of em loying a valve sufficient length to extend entirely throu h the ring 10, rim 2, and felly 1, I may provide the folly with the usual cylindrical passage 19 (see Fig. 2) for the valve-stem 20 and form at the bottom of said passage an enlarged annular opening 21, extending a dcsirod distance from the telly. The stem 20 would then be made sulliciently short to merely enter the enlarged opening 21. In said opening I prefer to insert a bushing 22, the same being preferably threaded into the opening 21, and to thread onto said bushing a removable hollow cap 23, into which the cap 24 of the valve might enter. llv this means, as before stated, i am enabled to avoid using along valve-stem, and the means described will be found not to materially weaken the folly, inasmuch as the loss of wood therein is amply compensated for by the provision of the bushing 22 and its cap .33. As before suggested, my invention is equallyapplicable with but very slight modi lication to the Dunlop style of tire. I have amply illustrated this in Fig. 2 of the drawin s, to which attention in now directed. As wi il be seen, the Dunlop construction differs from that of the clencher, among other things, in the base of its outer casing, the said base in the Dunlop construction being formed with annular beads wired to retain them in shape. Such beads, which I have indicated as 25, are curved on their inner as well as their outer faces, so that they present two converging curved internal walls. This of course neces sitates a chan c or disposition in the internal ring 26, and w ile still of substantially wedge shape in cross-section 'et consists of the fiat outer base 27 and inc ined converging side walls 28, slightl concaved, so as to conform to the outer wads of the tire. Otherwise the construction is the same as heretofore described, and so, too, is the operation.

Having described my invention, what I claim is l. The combination, of a felly, laterallyadjustable tire-clamping means carried thereby and comprising a fixed wall, a removable outer ring, an internal ring, and bolts ssing through said wall and rings, and a tire vin its edges clamped between said wall an internal rin and between said internal ring and remove le ring.

2. The combination, of a felly, laterallyad just able tire-clamping means carried thereby and comprising a fixed wall, a removable outer ring, an internal ring, and bolts assing through said wall and rings, and a tire avin its edges clamped between the fixed wall an internal ring and between the internal rin and the removable ring and provided with op ositc transverse notches engaged by said bolts.

3. The combination, of a felly, ad'ustable tire-clamping means carried there y and comprising a fixed wall, an op osite removable ring, and bolts engaging t e two, :a tire having its edges engaged by said means, and an annular internal ring mounted upon and sup )ortcd by the felly and substantially wcilge shape in cross-section and having its outer wall or base beyond the annular plane of the tire-clamping means, whereby it is adapted to so port the tire, when deflated, beyond said ciiunplng means said bolts engaging sa-id wedge-shaped ring.

4. The combination, of a telly, a rim mounted thereon and provided with laterallyudjustublc tirc-clamping means comprising a tixed wall, a removable ring and transverse bolts connecting the two, a tire mounted on the rim and having its edges engaged by said means, an internal removable annular ring provided with transverse recesses, and transversely-disposerl devices carried by the rim and engaging the said recesses.

5. The con'ibination, of a folly, a rim mounted thereon and provided with laterally-tidjustablc tire-clamping means comprising a fixed wall, a removable ring and transverse bolts connecting the two a tire mounted on the rim and having its e ges engaged by said means, an internal annular ring disposed between the edges of the tire and mounted upon and supported by the rim and provided along its inner circumference with transverse recesses, and transverse projections carried by the rim and engaging said recesses.

6. The combination, of a telly, a fiat rim mounted thereon and extending beyond the edges thereof and upturned at one edge to produce a clamping member, a removable notchedring at the op osite side of the rim, said upturned edge an ring being adapted to fit over the edges of a tire, clamping-bolts extending through the upturned ed e and ring and terminating in heads ode to to engage the latter, a tire mounted on t e rim, and an internal annular ring of substantially wedge sha e in cross-section mounted on the rim an eonforrnin at its sides to the tire and rovided with olt-receiving o enings slin mg with those in the upturne edge of the rim and the rin 7. The oombination, of a folly, a fiat nietallio rim mounted thereon and extending beyond the sides thereof, said rim having one edge flanged to form a clamp member, a removable ring corresponding and shaped similar to the flan 0 located at the opposite side of the rim, sai flange and ring having transverse bolt-receiving openin s, bolts mounted in the openings and provi ed at their ends with nuts and heads, the latter engaging the ring, a tire mounted on the rim and ooved to receive the bolts and having its e ges engaged by the ring'and flange, and an internal ring Wedge-shaped in cross-section and mounted upon and supported by the rim and provided with openings to receive the bolts, said internal ring comprising opposite inelined walls against which the opposite sides of the tire are forced and clamped by means of the flange and ring.

8. The combination, of a folly, a rim mounted thereon and having one of its edges bent to form a flan e and provided with boltholes, a similarly-s iaped ring at the opposite side of the rim and provided with corresponding hint-openings, headed bolts arranged in said bolt-o enings of the rifig and fian o and engaging t w former, a tire resting on t 1e rim and having its edges engaged by the ring and flange, and an internal removable ring resting upon and supported by the rim and sols stantially wedge-shaped in cross-section, said ring being provided with recesses or ohannois to receive the bolts and having its sides oi a contour agreeing with the sides of the tire.

9. Thecombination,ofafelly, a rim thereon, a tire arranged on the latter and having opposite bonds. moans embodying biHJlSVOISE bolts carried by the rim for engaging the beads and clamping the tire, on internal hollow ring wedge-shaped in cross-section and interposed between the inner edges of the tire and conforming thereto and resting upon and suppoited bythe rim and engaged by said bolts, and an inner tube resting upon and supported by said internal ring.

10. The combination, of a telly, a rim, a tire thereon, and clamping means carried by the rim and embodying transverse conneet ing-bolts, and an internal tube-like rin Wedge shape in cross-section and arranger upon and supported by the rim and having its outer wall or base beyond the said clampi111 means said ring being engaged by said 11 The combination, of a folly, a rim, a clamping means carried thereby, a tire haw ing its edges engaged by the clamping means,

a wedge-shaped tube-like ring monnted uponand supported by the rim and provided at intervals along its inner eirenmierenoe with ehannels, and olamping bolts mounted in the channels and engaging the clamping means.

12, The combination, of a pneumatic tire, a telly provided with a valve-stem opening terminating in an enlarged oharnher, an internal annular ring having an opening a eeing with the valve-stem opening in the fell a double-tube tire, the inner tube of which rests u on and is supported by said internal ring, o arnping means for securing the edges of the outer casing of the tire, and a valve-stem carried by the inner tube and extendin through the openings in the internal ring and the folly.

13. The combination, oi" a pneumatic tire, a folly provided with. a valve-stem opening terminating in an enlarged ehainber, an in ternal annular ring having an opening agreeing with the valve-stem opening in the folly, a tire mounted on the folly, tire-securin means, and a valve-stem extending throng the openings in the internal ring and felly.

14. The combination, of a pneumatic tire comprising a valve-stem, a folly having an opening for the stem which opening terminotes in an enlarged cavity, abushing located within the cavity and extending beyond the folly, and, a cap threaded on the bushing.

15. The combination, of a folly, a flat rim,

a tire thereon, a tirochunping means arranged outside of and from to slide over the rim to exert a lateral (-mnprossion upon the tire, and an internal ring romovably mounted upon the flat rim and free to move laterally thoroovvr, the opposite sides of said ring constituting the imu-r members of said tireeiiranping moans.

Hi. lllo omnbination, of a folly, a flat rim, a tire ihoroon, a tire-clamping means arranged outside of and free to slide over the rim to exert a lateral compression upon the tire, and an internal ring roinovably mounted. upon the flat rim and iron to move laterally tlioroover, the opposite sides of said ring constituting the inner members of said tireelamping means and of a shape or contour agreeing with the inner surfaces of the clamped edges of the tire.

17. The eombination, of a felly, a flat rim, a tire thereon, a tire-clamping means arranged outside of and free to slide over the rim to exert a lateral com tire, and an internal tubu removably mounted upon the flat rim and free to move laterally thereover, the opposite sides of said ring constituting the inner members of said tire-clam ing means.

18. The combination, of a felLy, a flat rim having one edge outwardly bent to form one member of a tire-clampin means, a tire arranged against such mem er, a ring removressionupon the ar or hollow ring.

abljy mounted within rim and free to slide laterally thereon, a tireelampin ring of greater diameter than and mounte on the rim at that edge 0 posite the outwardly-bentedge thereof and ee to slide laterally over the rim toward said edge, and means carried by the rim for laterall drawing the tire-clampin ring toward 1: 1e outward|y-bent edge of t e rim.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN W. MEIXELL.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM R. FOLLMER, PHILIP B. LINN.

the tire and upon the 

